Melting Point
by darveyswhiskey
Summary: Tension and feelings rise to the surface when Harvey and Donna find themselves snowed in... Takes place before Paula comes into the picture.


" _Goddammit, Harvey."_

Donna throws her phone on his couch with a frustrated sigh, her hands coming up rub at her temples as the familiar waves of a migraine starts to form. That had been the fifth time she's called him in the last hour, and each time it went straight to voicemail. She hadn't thought much of it at first, figuring he might've left his phone in his office, or was busy talking to a client, except… _that's why she was there._

They had argued earlier, nothing monumental by their standards, but still, there had been some yelling. Harvey wanted to acquire a new client, some hot shot CEO from Boston, but on the contingency that he give up one of the firm's most loyal clients, who just happened to be on the opposing end of said hot shot's spectrum. Donna had warned him that losing one loyal client just to claim a bigger one would only do more harm than good, tarnishing the firm's reputation in the process. Unsurprisingly, however, he had placed his ego above her advice, telling her he knew what the hell he was doing.

So, in a moment of bitterness over her boss, she had stormed out of his office, leaving the warmth of Pearson Specter to face the freezing New York winter. She had only stuck around longer to see if she could change his mind, but when he made it clear he didn't want to heed her words, she thought it best to let him be, irritation pulling at her seams.

But, with the idea of him possibly undermining everything Jessica had worked for in all her years working there gnawing at her, Donna made a rash decision. There was a good chance Harvey would be pissed at her, yet the idea didn't flounder her plans. With her head held high and her copy of his keys, she had made her way to his apartment, deciding it was best that she confront him again before this went south.

He wouldn't make any settlements tonight, that much she was certain. It required a pre-imposed formal meeting, and it had already been nearing eight when she arrived at his place.

But now, it was nearing nine thirty. She had called the office when he had repeatedly failed to answer his phone, coming in contact with Louis who was the last one at the firm, telling her Harvey had left half an hour before, soon after she had. The thought disturbed her, despite the fact that she knew traffic would be horrific, seeing as how the snow was picking up. Still, she had called Ray right after she ended her call with Louis, surprised to hear that her boss' driver had been granted the night off.

Donna feels her hands shaking out of their own accord then, and she hugs her sweater clad body to herself. She gazes out into the span of his large windows, noticing that the city had been covered in a blanket of white. With Harvey's impending deal looming over her, she had practically forgotten all about the blizzard that was supposed to pass that night. Sure, it had been snowing all day, but nothing out of the norm of a heavy snow season. Now, however, the storm was starting to pick up and Harvey still wasn't home, and he wasn't answering his calls, _and she was on the verge of a full blown breakdown._

Just as she was about to grab her phone from the couch, a possible futile plan of trying to call him again forming in her mind, the door to his condo opened.

"Harvey?" She speaks his name on a reflex, hope and anger and relief rolled into the word alone.

Donna frowns when she gets no answer, veering further into his hallway to see his form staggering into his apartment, onyx coat now sheathed in white.

"Oh my God, Harvey, did you _walk_ here?" Her hazel eyes are wide as she takes him in- his usual upright posture hunched over, shivering through the space of his loft.

"D- Donna? W- What the hell are you d- doing here?" His teeth chatter through his words, forehead knit in confusion as he finally notices her presence.

"I came over to- _Jesus, Harvey_ , you're going to catch hypothermia if you don't get out of those clothes." She steps into him then, a frown still etched onto her face.

"W- what are you doing?" He nearly falters back when she tries removing his coat and she purses her lips at his stand-offish stature.

"I'm trying to save your ass before you freeze to death, now stand still so I can take this thing off." She relaxes only slightly when he follows her orders, and she's surprised when he lets her take the soaked coat off of him. Though, she doubts he could've attempted the simple act due to the fact that he was nearly frozen in place.

She eyes him warily as she unbuttons his winter coat, his lips tinted with a slight blue hue and his nose and cheeks still red from the cold weather. The worry she had felt when he hadn't returned her phone calls is replaced with a mixture of concern over his well-being and agitation for being a goddamn idiot.

"You want to tell me what the hell you were thinking walking through the North Pole?" Her voice is steady when she speaks, taking the now soaked coat and hanging it on the coat rack near the door.

"I wanted to get some air," he mumbles sheepishly under her gaze, his normal color slowly returning to his features.

Donna snorts, crossing her arms, "You got that in spades, that's for sure. You didn't think that getting a ride in the middle of an impending blizzard would've been, oh I don't know, a little less insane?"

Harvey lets out a sigh, moving past her to head deeper into his apartment, Donna following after him, "I gave Ray the night off," he shrugs, turning to face her when he reaches the kitchen island.

"Well, that's a bullshit excuse if I've ever heard one," she eyes his sudden nonchalant demeanor and she feels herself growing more agitated with him by the second, "I called you five times and each time it went straight to voicemail, I called the office and Louis said you had left, and then I called Ray and he told me you gave him the night off. I was _worried_ , Harvey."

He eyes her for a moment, her eyes wide and face flushed with anger. His lips quirk slightly then, head cocking to the right, "You were worried about me?"

"Oh, Jesus Christ, Harvey," her arms fall to her sides, an exasperated breath leaving her as she breaks their gaze, shaking her head.

He sighs in defeat, running his hand through his flake covered hair, "My phone died and I decided to walk home tonight, I completely forgot about the storm. Didn't realize until I was halfway here and it started snowing harder. What?" Harvey asks her when she only continues to fix him with a stare.

"You never walk home, Harvey, or at least you rarely do. You want to fill in the blanks for me?" He suddenly feels himself shrinking under her steady gaze, shifting on the spot.

"I- wanted some time to think."

"About?"

Harvey sighs, "The case," when she opens her mouth to speak, her puts his hand up, "I thought about what you said after you left and, I kind of felt like a dick for what I had said."

She lifts an eyebrow at him, "Kind of?"

"Don't push it," her lips quirk into a smirk before he continues, "Like I was saying, I _thought_ about what you said and decided to walk home and… ponder it a bit more," he shrugs, and she almost rolls her eyes at his uncanny ability to make everything seem like it was no big deal.

"And what conclusion did you come to? You know, besides the realization that you're not a penguin?"

"I realized… that you _may have been_ … right about the whole thing," he finishes quietly, his hand tracing invisible patterns on his countertop as he looks up at her shyly.

"I'm sorry, one more time, I didn't quite catch that," she places her hand to her ear, her head tilting in his direction.

" _Donna,"_

"I'm waiting, Harvey," she stubbornly stays in place, her eyebrows raised in anticipation.

"I'm- sorry, okay? You were right."

Her posture straightens before him then, an all too pleased smile playing on her lips, "See? Now that wasn't so hard now, was it?"

Harvey rolls his eyes, the hint of a smile playing on his features in spite, "I'm gonna go change now."

He starts heading in the direction of his bedroom, turning just before he reaches the sliding doors, "Oh, and Donna?"

"Yes, Harvey?"

"Were you really worried about me?" That smug smile returns ten-fold and Donna shakes her head, cursing herself when her lips curl up out of their own accord.

"You're an ass, you know that?"

She's met by that shit-eating grin that makes her stomach flip, and she bites her lip to prevent herself from falling further under his charms.

He disappears through the sliding doors of his bedroom, and Donna busies herself by checking her emails on her phone, trying to ignore the lingering thought that her best friend was currently changing out of his clothes a mere couple feet away.

…

"Well don't you look fresh and primped," she teases when he comes out of his bedroom minutes later, clad in a Harvard Law sweater and a pair of gray sweatpants.

"It's casual Friday," Harvey shrugs with a cheeky smile, walking over to where she sat on his couch.

"It's Thursday," she corrects with a smirk.

Harvey rolls his eyes, "You always feel the need to correct me?"

"Whenever you're wrong, yes."

He shakes his head at her antics, a relaxed smile playing on his lips.

"So… I should get going," Donna quietly states after a beat, standing up from his couch with a sigh.

"What? No, you can't." He quickly stands up, following her as she makes her way to his kitchen island to grab her purse.

"It's late, Harvey, you don't need a babysitter," she chuckles.

"Donna, it's the North Pole out there," he echoes her words from earlier, pointing to his windows displaying the blanket of snow covering the city.

"It's fine, Harvey, I'm not walking, remember?" She shoots him a teasing look, eyeing his flustered demeanor with amusement.

"Donna, _still,_ you can't- the roads are going to be a nightmare, you can barely see anything outside… just… stay," Harvey fumbles out.

"Stay?"

"Yeah, stay here."

She studies him for a moment, and despite his slightly uncomfortable stature, his eyes are genuine and she tries to tamper down that familiar fluttering in her stomach.

"Where would I sleep?" She challenges him, raising an eyebrow.

"In my room, I'll take the couch," Harvey shrugs.

Donna scoffs a laugh, "With your back? No, thanks, I don't want to hear you whining about your back pains for the next month. Try again."

His lips thin at her jab, irked at her stubbornness, "Fine, then," he hesitates for a moment, trying to string together his next thought carefully, "We can just… sleep in my bed."

Donna's mouth drops, the words echoing in her mind making her heart stutter, "We?"

Harvey nods, "We."

"As in- us- together? You and I?"

" _Donna,"_

" _Harvey,"_ she counters. They face off in a stare contest, daring the other to break first.

"Donna, just take the bed," Harvey finally sighs, slight irritation etched into his voice when she smirks at him.

"Harvey," her face straightens then, her voice growing serious, "Are you sure about this?"

"What's there to be sure about?" His hands shove into the pockets of his sweats, swaying on the ball of his feet.

"You don't think it'll be… weird?"

Harvey shrugs, "No, you're- my friend. You need a place to crash and I'm offering my bed."

Donna chews on her lip in thought, studying him. She always thought she had an uncanny ability to read people- Harvey being one of them. Yet, at this moment she couldn't tell if he genuinely thought that them sharing a bed wouldn't be weird, considering they've barely shared physical contact in the last decade- _not after the other time_. It was either that or her acting skills have rubbed off on him.

Finally, she sighs, peeking behind his shoulder to gaze out into the night, flurries of snow whirling around, "Fine, but," she points a finger in his direction, "if you so much as snore or hog the sheets so help me God, I'm going to arrange for you and Louis to go mudding together."

Harvey's grin drops, "You wouldn't dare."

"Try me," she challenges, turning around to head into his bedroom.

"Where the hell are you going?" He inquires in confusion, trying not to focus on the way her hips sway in the black pants she wore.

"I'm going to steal your clothes, Harvey. I'm not sleeping in this." His lips twitch at her words, watching as she gives him a teasing look before closing his door.

He glances around his mostly quiet apartment, gazing out into the large floor to ceiling windows, watching the blizzard with an odd sense of calm. It's then that he feels a sudden chill, the remnants of being out in the storm earlier coming back like a literal splash of ice water. _Yeah, that was stupid,_ he thinks, shaking his head at himself. But he hadn't been thinking lately, too absorbed in acquiring a new client, _a big client,_ that he didn't let himself ponder the possibility of what it would do to jeopardize the firm and his relationship with Jessica. And then Donna's words kept echoing in his mind, _as per usual_ , her voice playing a mantra as he left work earlier that night.

" _If you could just take a moment to take your head out of your ass long enough to see how wrong this is, maybe you could realize what a shit move you're pulling if you go along with this deal."_

He hadn't remembered that there was supposed to be a blizzard hitting that night, not when the pressure to do what was right for the firm was nagging at him, not when the image of seeing Donna's look of hurt and disappointment _in him_ kept replaying in his mind like a horror film. So, he had taken a walk, wanting to take the time to clear his thoughts before he made a decision. But before he could pat himself on the back for his moment of self-growth and actualization, his hands had turned numb and the snow was picking up, and suddenly it was a race to his apartment before he turned into a popsicle.

Harvey sighs, a shiver running through him as the temperature around him seemed to drop at the memory alone. He walks over to his fireplace, cursing himself for not thinking of turning it on sooner with the tundra weather they were facing. His shoulders relax as soon as the orange flames come to life, the warmth emitting from them immediately thawing his body.

He turns to face his bedroom then, swallowing as the fact that Donna was in there _changing into his clothes_ hits him in full. He shakes his head, trying to shake off the thoughts alongside as well. _You're venturing into dangerous territory_ , his mind warns him. And yet, images of her creamy peach skin sliding into one of his sweaters and pants filters through his mind, the thoughts involuntarily and all-consuming.

His jaw clenches as those images take residence in his conscious for a while, the sudden need to take a cold shower, _or fling himself outside into the freezing cold_ , runs through him all at once. Sighing to himself, he heads into his kitchen, needing to busy himself with something other than the thoughts he was having over his friend. _Friend_. That's what he had told her, he reminds himself as he reaches into the cupboards to grab two mugs, gathering the ingredients for what he planned to make. And that's what she was- Donna Paulsen was his friend and colleague, _that's it._

Yet, as he turns on the stove, waiting for milk in the stainless steel pot to heat up, a plaguing thought nags at his very core. He turns to glance at his closed bedroom, a sudden tightness and fluttering against his chest making it harder for him to breathe.

 _Then why does it feel like they were a hell of a lot more._

…

 _ **Meanwhile**_

Donna chews on her lip, gazing around his room with a sudden trepidation. It was- a little weird. Sure, she was the one who helped him pick this apartment in the place, had helped him decorate and move, and she's visited on a number of occasions, so being in his bedroom shouldn't feel so odd. _And yet…_ there was something different about tonight, something about the way they were suddenly facing the fact that she had to stay over, _sleep in his bed… with him…_ Not to mention the fact that it was snowing outside like they were in the middle of the arctic, the night still and quiet yet filled with so much of what she couldn't deny to be some sort of palpable tension.

And she couldn't quite understand why- it wasn't as if they hadn't hung out before, hell it wouldn't even be the first time she's stayed at his apartment. Though the first time, when her place was being fumigated and he refused to let her stay at a hotel instead of crashing at his place for free, he had been out on a business trip, so she hadn't had to deal with his constant presence. Tonight, however, they would be sharing a bed, for the first time since-

She shakes her head, heaving out a sigh as she starts rummaging through the drawer where she knew he kept his most casual clothes. Harvey was a creature of habit, kind of OCD if anyone asked her, so she knew from memory where he had kept them- being as she had watched him once some years back, taking out a sweater from said drawer she was looking through now.

Donna finds a pair of similar gray sweats to the one he was wearing now, figuring those would fit her the best out of the array of pants she found. A low laugh escapes her when she comes across another sweater, this one a faded gray with the name of a high school baseball team written across the front in red letters. Donna bites her lip in thought then, running through the possible ramifications of her donning this very sweater.

"Oh, screw it," she sighs into the room, ramming the drawer closed with her hip as she moves to his bed. She places his clothes on the mattress as she takes off her own, her heart suddenly beating rapidly for reasons she starts to repress.

…

Harvey hears the door to his bedroom sliding open and stops pouring their drinks to turn and face her, "Well, doesn't someone look-"

"Don't," Donna warns, pointing a figure at him.

His cheeky grin widens, "You don't even know what I was going to say." He takes a moment to take her in- clad in a pair of his gray sweatpants, folded a couple of times at the waist to fit her slim form, his slightly smaller high school baseball sweater hugging her close. But, what really did him in were her sock clad feet, and her light copper hair twisted in a messy bun. She looked younger, freer, _lighter._

"I know _you_ ," his secretary shoots back, settling down on one of the island's stools, "And you're a dick so I really don't want to hear it."

He sends her a smirk, pointing to his sweater, "Where'd you find that anyway?"

"Oh, this? Stashed in the back of your closet, right next to your porn collection."

Harvey shakes his head at her antics, "I haven't worn that thing since my senior year."

"Oh, please tell me you have pictures," Donna perks up, her eyes bright and hopeful.

Harvey scoffs, "Like I'd ever put you in that position of power. You'd use those pictures to blackmail me."

Her eyes widen with a faux innocence, "I would never."

"Uh huh,"

"I'm serious."

"Right, besides, I don't have any pictures of myself wearing that," Harvey shrugs, turning around to continue pouring their drinks

"Why? Ooh, did you give it your girlfriend to wear? Like some Bye Bye Birdie going steady type of thing? Getting pinned by Harvey Specter by getting to wear his team sweater?" Donna teases.

Harvey turns his head around, "You're shameless."

"And you're avoiding the question," she raises her eyebrows in a challenge.

His lips quirk, "I never gave it to a girlfriend to wear. You'd be the first."

She knows she shouldn't be affected by his admission, knows that it doesn't mean anything. She did just stumble across it while she was raiding his drawer, and only chose to wear it to tease him. Yet, the way his eyes had crinkled when he told her _she was the first_ made her heart stutter and her stomach do that flip she was starting to get annoyed with.

With no comeback to strike with, Donna hugs her body close to herself, trying to will those butterflies to settle. It's only then that she realizes he's been working on something, his back facing her as the clinks of spoons against glass meets her ears.

"What are you making?" She tries to peek around him, but comes up empty when his broad form blocks whatever it is he's busying himself with.

Harvey doesn't answer her, however, silently finishing up before he finally turns around.

Her eyebrows raise when she sees him, a sly smile on his face and a mug of something steaming in each hand.

"Hot chocolate," he states proudly, settling her blue porcelain mug in front of her.

"Uh, Harvey, I'm not twelve," she tells him with a teasing smile.

"Okay, fine," He moves to take the mug back, but her hand stops him.

"I didn't say I didn't _want_ it," she lifts the mug to her face, smelling the concoction he made, "This smells… interesting."

"It's _spiked_ ," he smirks.

"With that? Oh God, don't tell me it's Macallan," her nose scrunches up in disgust and horror.

Harvey scoffs, "I'm not a masochist, Donna," he points behind him then, and her eyes follow to land on a bottle of liquor.

"Peppermint schnapps? I- can't picture you buying peppermint schnapps?" Donna snorts with amusement.

Harvey rolls his eyes, "Mike left it here the last time he came over, okay?"

"And you decided to keep it? How thoughtful," she places her hand over her heart in a dramatic gesture.

He shakes his head, "Just drink your chocolate, Donna."

She gives him a look before she relents, lifting the mug to her lips.

"Wait! I almost forgot," Harvey turns around then, picking up the can of whipped cream she somehow had failed to see. He sprays a good portion on her mug, before doing the same to his own- the white cream splayed in a perfect swirl on each.

Donna swallows, eyeing their mugs before trailing her vision up to his face, "Whipped cream?"

"What? Do you not like whipped cream?" He tilts his head at her, that self-satisfied smirk back on his face.

She licks her lips cautiously, taking a beat before answering in a voice too low, "I think you know how I feel about whipped cream." They were venturing onto _very_ dangerous territory here, she knew. Even so, she couldn't help herself when she knew he was trying to bait her- the action surprising her, considering everything they had agreed to years ago, considering how he normally was with her every other day. She momentarily wonders if he had already taken a couple of shots of the peppermint schnapps. All the same, another thought enters her mind- _did he always have whipped cream in store? Did he ever use it in- other ways with other- people?_ The unexpected wave of jealousy that takes over makes her grit her teeth, gripping the scalding mug harder in her hands.

"I bought it the other day," Harvey begins softly, eyeing her with curiosity, "I normally don't buy the stuff, but," he shrugs then, moving around the counter with his own mug, "Got a sudden craving for it."

His voice is too low when he turns to stand in front of her, and she swallows back a sudden lump in her throat. She curses him for somehow managing to read her mind and clarify his non-habitual whipped cream purchases. He's suddenly too close to her, standing in front of her close enough for her to smell his cologne, something so familiarly _Harvey_ that it nearly makes her breathing halter, her mind dizzying as the fumes hits her senses.

"Well," Donna clears her throat, her gaze breaking from his own intense one to stare at the fireplace in the distance, "You should know this stuff isn't good for you, it can, uh, become _addicting_ ," she peers over him behind her mug, finally taking a sip of the hot beverage.

"Trust me, I know." Harvey retorts quietly. He watches her taking a tentative drink, his hand tightening around his own mug when she lets out a low moan.

"Okay, this is by far the best hot chocolate I've ever had and I think I want to have its baby," Harvey snorts at her words, his lips widening when he notices a dollop of whipped cream got smeared on her upper lip.

"What?" She inquires, eyeing him wearily.

"You've got a little," he takes a step into her, his hand tentatively reaching out, wiping the offending white substance off her face.

Her body goes rigid at his touch, breath stilling as his thumb lingers on a little too long on her skin, his intense gaze never faltering from her own.

"There," he tells her softly.

Her eyes are transfixed on his own, mouth slightly agape and skin buzzing by his touch. _What the hell is he doing?_ They didn't do this. They didn't have sleepovers or tease each other to this extent, and they _certainly_ don't touch. Harvey seems to have realized what he did, his sudden demeanor going from smug to one of a dumbfounded daze. Suddenly, the room's temperature seemed to have risen ten-fold, her cheeks warming under his gaze.

Donna's the first to break eye contact, gazing off to stare at the dancing flames on his fireplace. She clears her throat, "Should we move to the uh-"

Harvey glances over to where she's pointing to the living room, and clears his own throat, "Uh, yeah, sure," they share a shy smile before they head over, Harvey sitting down on one of his leather chairs. His forehead creases when he notices her still standing, surveying the area with a frown on her face, "Is something wrong?"

"This isn't going to work," she states simply, eyes finally falling on him.

"What- isn't going to work?" He eyes her curiously, the idea that he never knew what Donna Paulsen was thinking always somehow exciting and terrifying him all at once.

"The ambiance is all wrong," she lets out a dramatic sigh, placing her unfinished drink on the coffee table before making a beeline to his bedroom.

" _Ambiance…?_ Donna, what-"

"Hold your horses, mister, I'll be right out and don't you think about stealing my drink!" Her voice echoes back from somewhere deep inside his bedroom. Harvey rolls his eyes, sighing as he settles back further in his seat. He lets his lips curl up as he takes a slow sip from his own drink, shaking his head in amusement over the redhead currently invading his room for God knows what.

Harvey nearly spits out his drink when he sees her walking back out a few minutes later, her entire upper body hidden behind a mountain of blankets, sheets, and pillows.

"Donna what the hell- those are my good sheets, Donna," Harvey scolds as he stands up, watching her make her way toward him.

"You have twenty pairs of the same white sheets, Harvey, I think you'll live," comes her muffled response. Donna lets out a sigh as she finally dumps the array of blankets on the floor in front of the fireplace, "There," she looks up at him with a proud smile on her face.

"What- is this?" He gives that confused Harvey Specter look- the one he gets when she does something Donna-like and it takes him too long to catch up to her.

She rolls her eyes, squatting down to assemble the sheets in front of her, "I'm gonna make a fort."

"A what?"

"Oh good grief," she mumbles under her breath, rolling her eyes again as she realizes her joke went unnoticed by him, "I'm just trying to make things a little cozier here, okay? Your apartment's basically a penguin habitat right now and I'd like to be closer to the fireplace while we warm up," she gives him a nonchalant shrug and he briefly wonders if she thinks any of this feels _normal_ to her when it feels like the complete opposite for him.

"O-kay," he elongates the word, settling on the armrest of his leather chair as he watches her work to organize the sheets.

"You just going to sit there and not help?" She asks him without looking up.

"You'd just tell me I'm doing it wrong and to sit my ass down before I ruin your _feng shui_."

Her lips quirk, knowing he was right, "Touché." Donna continues to work in silence, folding the sheets to make them fit in the area just in front of the fireplace. She sets the thickest blanket on the bottom to cushion them, followed by two thinner white sheets and another blanket right on top, meticulously smoothing out any final creases before she sets the pillows resting against the bottom of his coffee table. "Okay, our little cozy haven."

His lips widen at the way she looks up at him, eyes beaming in self satisfaction, "Geez, you think you got enough blankets to keep us warm for the rest of the winter season?"

She fixes him with a glare, " _Funny,_ " she finally settles herself against the table, adjusting the pillow on her lower back and settling under the blanket before patting the space next to her, "Come on, it's nice and toasty down here."

His lips twitch in amusement, watching as she turns around to grab her hot chocolate, taking a sip from it. "Wait," she stops him before he sits down, "it got cold, I need you to heat it up for me." She extends her hand up to give him her mug, giving him a cheeky smile as he shakes his head, taking her mug.

"God, woman, you're a lot of work, you know that?"

"What did you just say?" She retorts when he starts heading back to the kitchen.

"Nothing," comes his quick response.

"Mhmm, just for that I'm keeping this sweater."

"Seriously?" He calls back from the kitchen, waiting for her drink to heat up on the stove again.

"You think I'm kidding, but this baby's coming home with me," she affirms, hugging herself closer. She didn't know if it was due to years of being stored deep in his drawer that made it so comfortable, but the snug fit of his sweater made her feel safe and content and warm. _Maybe it had something to do with the fact that it smelled like_ _ **him**_ , her mind suggested. She shook that thought out of her head, turning when she hears his footsteps approaching.

"Oh, I _know_ you're not kidding." He extends his arm down, handing her her drink before settling himself down under the blanket next to her, his own drink in hand, "I had to redo the whipped cream," he smirks at her.

She gazes at him from the corner of her eye, blowing into the mug before taking another sip. She hums when the sweet concoction meets her tongue, the tang from the peppermint schnapps complementing the chocolate perfectly, "You should make this more often," she suggests, taking her finger and swiping it across the swirl of whipped cream, bringing it back to her lips.

Harvey's eyes darken as she sucks her finger into her mouth, her gaze never faltering from his as she swallows the sweet topping.

"Well," he clears his throat, shifting under the blankets uncomfortably, "Next time we're snowed in, I'll make sure of that," he takes a sip of his own re-heated drink then, trying to focus on anything else but the image of her licking the whipped cream off her finger.

"Fine, just try not to get yourself nearly frozen to death next time," she playfully bumps her shoulder with his.

Harvey carefully eyes her for a moment, watching as she takes another sip of her hot chocolate before she sets her own gaze on the flames in front of them.

"I'm sorry," he whispers.

She turns to look at him, a puzzled expression on her face, "For what?"

"For- making you worry. I know I teased you about it earlier, but if it had been the other way around, well, I would've nearly panicked."

Her heart stutters against her chest for a moment, the sincerity in his words hitting her in full, "It's okay," she finally breathes out, giving him a warm smile, "You didn't know I'd be here, waiting for you."

"Still," he bumps his shoulder against hers now, mirroring her earlier move, "That wasn't my finest moment."

"No, it wasn't," she agrees with a chuckle.

His eyes bore through her own for a minute, watching the flames from the fire dancing in her hazel eyes. Just as quickly, she turns her head and he follows her gaze, watching her sock clad feet peeking from beneath the knitted blanket. He notices the gray pair held tiny snowflakes, smiling when he pictures her picking them out that morning, deciding to wear them underneath her boots.

"You know," Donna begins then, playfully bumping her feet against his own, "you should really get a Christmas tree in here already."

Harveys snorts, "I'll make a mental note."

She swats at his chest, "I'm serious, Harvey, we're two weeks away from Christmas and you really need some holiday cheer in your life."

Harvey hums into his mug, taking a sip before speaking, "I'm not really into this holiday, Donna."

She frowns at his admission, already knowing this time of year was never highlight for him. Ever since his mom cheated on his dad, and then Gordon passed away… all he really had was Marcus and she knew that it wasn't the same.

"You can't play Scrooge forever, Harvey, you need to let some light in every once in a while." He looks at her for a moment, her own features set in determination, a hint of sadness in her eyes. He wished he could tell her that _she_ was the only light he ever really needed in his life, but felt the words trapped in his throat.

"What? You're not going to pull a Jacob Marley on me, are you?" He decides to joke instead.

Donna tilts her head at him, telling him she wasn't going to be baited into movie banter with him right now, "I'm serious, Harvey. You really want to be a Christmas grump for the rest of your life?"

"I'm not a grump," he huffs.

She raises her eyebrows at him, "Oh, I beg to differ. Come on, it doesn't even have to be a _real_ tree," she rolls her eyes, knowing he would probably let the thing die, "it could be a fake one and ooh! You could get a bunch of Christmas lights and put them on your balcony."

" _Donna,"_

"And oh, you could buy some stockings and place them over the fire place," the redhead beams in excitement.

His lips quirk at her child-like enthusiasm, "Do _you_ want to decorate my apartment?"

Her eyes light up at his words, widening as ideas start forming in her mind on reflex, "Oh, if you so dare to put me in that position of power."

His face falls, "I was kidding."

" _I wasn't."_

"Seriously?"

"Shouldn't you know by now that I am _always_ serious?" Harvey cocks his head to the side, watching her expectant gaze.

"Well…"

"Come on, Harvey, let me be the Cindy Lou Who to your Grinch," she pleads, her body twisting to fully face him.

"I thought I was playing Scrooge in this scenario," he smirks.

Donna rolls her eyes, "Listen, I don't care what movie we're in, just- let me do this for you, please. Let me bedazzle your holidays."

Harvey scrunches up his nose, "Only if you don't say _bedazzle_ anymore."

She chuckles, "Deal."

"So… when do you plan on pulling a Christmas miracle on my apartment?" He asks after a beat.

"How about Saturday?"

"This Saturday?"

Donna rolls her eyes again, " _Yes_ , preferably before the actual holiday comes, Harvey."

"Okay, we can- start with a Christmas tree then?"

"Yeah, I can swing by in the morning and we can go on the hunt for one," she gives him a content smile, still in semi-disbelief that he agreed to any of this.

"Okay, it's a- date then."

Her stomach flips at his words, watching a shy smile cross his features. _Relax, that's just a saying, he didn't mean anything by it, don't read too much into it._

"A- date?"

 _Brilliant, Donna._

"Well, not a _date date_ , you know, a uh," Harvey shifts in his place then, suddenly feeling like he was a subject under a microscope. He hadn't thought much about what he had said, the words spilling out of him in reflex. It's then that he turns to gaze at her, her head tilted to the side, an amused smile playing on her lips at his stuttering.

"Shut up," he mumbles, taking a drink of his chocolate.

Donna chuckles beside him, mirroring his actions and taking a sip of her own.

"What?" Harvey inquires after a beat, noticing how she was biting her lip, as if to hold back laughter.

"You've uh, you've got some-" she motions to her own nose, signaling him whilst trying to not let the laughter burst out of her.

Harvey's eyes comically widen for a split second, rolling his eyes in the next as he tries to wipe away the offending cream.

"No, you- you still have some-" Donna bites down on her lip harder, trying her best not to lose it at the way he only smeared more on his face.

"Okay, can you just do it because I can't see it," he huffs in annoyance.

Without him noticing, she discreetly swipes her finger into her own mug, collecting some whipped cream and placing a dollop on his nose, "There," she snorts, "I got it," her laughter suddenly booms across the quiet space, the way his eyes widening at her actions making her double over with mirth.

"Oh- you- _you asked for it_ ," Harvey murmurs, sweeping some of the cream from his own mug when she wasn't looking, _seeing as how she was still doubled over in laughter_ , and waits for her to sit back up before smearing it across her face, the cream landing on half her nose and half her left cheek.

Donna gasps, "I can't believe you just did that."

"Hey, you started it," Harvey defends, a smirk of his own now adorning his features.

She narrows her eyes at him, "If that's how you _really_ want to play, then," Donna gathers some more whipped cream in her hand, this time utilizing four fingers to scoop some it and smudging the white substance across his face. Harvey closes his eyes on instinct, some of the cream blocking his vision.

He squints an eye open, catching her pink tongue peeking through her teeth, somehow still looking as beautiful as ever with her own sugary white paint on her face.

"What, Specter," she raises her eyebrows in a challenge, "That all you got?"

His eyes darken at her jab, and in a flash move, he's taken a handful of whipped cream, placing his mug off to the side as he leans over her, smirking when her eyes widen and she sets her mug down at lightning speed, lest they cause it to spill.

He's on top of her in seconds, towering over her form as she struggles to keep his whipped cream laced hand away from her.

Donna gasps through bouts of giggles, "Harvey, I swear to God, if you-"

A small drop lands right on top of her nose, and she closes her eyes shut in reflex.

His laugh reverberates through her, his solid form just a few inches above her own body. She opens her eyes to watch his gleaming with mischief and pure unadulterated joy, her own hand still blocking his to prevent him from getting any more cream on her.

"You know you started this right?" Harvey teases, his voice growing deeper as he lowers himself, his lips a mere inches away from hers.

Donna swallows against her own will, his proximity suddenly making her head spin. "Yeah, because you're a asshole," she breathes against him.

He smirks, leaning down over her more, his voice just an octave lower than before, "You love it."

Her eyes study his features under the dim light of his living room, the flames from the fire illuminating him in a soft orange glow. She takes note of the creases in his face, from the laugh lines beside his lips to the ones in the corner of his eyes, the crinkles signifying moments of joy. She's too distracted by his intense gaze that she doesn't notice her hand going slack against his. In a moment of weakness, she's left defenseless when his hand is suddenly free, and without hesitating, he taints her pale cheek and part of her lips with the cream.

Donna gasps in surprise, the bold move catching her off guard, "You- _jackass_ ," she breathes through a chuckle that leaves out of her own volition. Her chest suddenly shakes from more giggles, half horrified and half impressed that he really managed to get her.

"You're looking a little pale, Donna, you sure you're okay?" He jokes, prodding at the fact that her face was covered in the white sticky substance.

"I woudn't be so quick to judge, _hot shot_ ," Donna takes her now free hand to smear some of the whipped cream on his face, giggling when it covers the rest of his nose and his upper lip, "There, good enough to eat," she smirks proudly.

Her words don't sink in until she notices the way his pupils dilate, his own smirk fading only to be replaced by one hell of a serious stare. It's only then that she realizes just how close they are, how his body has hers pinned down beneath him. Her breath quickens, oxygen becoming too great a need, her heart beating out of her chest, and yet… she didn't feel trapped. Being under his gaze, his warm body looming over her own, _she felt safe_.

"Harvey," his name falls from her lips on a whisper, their faces just four inches apart.

She notices his throat bobbing above her, his eyes shifting from her eyes to her lips and back again, "Donna," his hand moves to tuck a strand of auburn hair now tinted with whipped cream behind her ear, his fingers lingering on her cheek in the process.

"Harv-" her words are cut off by his lips on hers, the motion leaving her stunned in place, unmoving, not breathing.

He swallows her gasp instantaneously, his mouth suckling on her bottom lip with his tongue teasing her entrance. She grants him access with a sigh, her body relaxing when he angles his head against her, deepening their kiss. A low moan escapes her when he sucks on her tongue and she feels herself growing dizzy. He tastes like peppermint and dark chocolate, the flavors mixing and causing her to arch against him. His body seems to take that as a signal and he places himself flush against her, trapping her between him and the bed of sheets below her. Her hand rakes through his short strands, pulling him closer to her and she nearly loses it when she tastes the whipped cream on his lips. The sugary flavor that mixes with something so familiarly _him_ takes her back to twelve years in the past- a night of giggles and gasps of pleasure filtering through her mind. She feels sudden tears prickling at her eyes at the memories that consume her, images of them passing a can of whipped cream between them pales to the memory of what he tasted like that night, _exactly as he does so now._

Before Donna lets herself get lost in the taste of him, his lips trail down to her jaw and neck, sucking at her pulse point with a fervent need. She opens her eyes in a gasp, watching the flames from the fireplace dancing on the ceiling above her, his body hovering over her own.

"Harvey," she manages to get out, a low whine escaping her when his teeth lightly scratch against her skin.

He only hums in response, his right hand sneaking its way under what is now her sweater, caressing her. She jerks into him when his fingers meet her stomach, his touch scalding her skin.

"Harvey, _oh God_ , Harvey, wait-"

His movements cease at her words, and she whines in protest despite being the one to tell him to stop. He's breathing heavily when he pulls back, his eyes nearly black in the dim light of the room.

" _Shit_ , I'm sorry, I-" The realization of what he just did hits him like a ton of bricks, watching her half hooded eyes and her swollen lips, part of her face still smeared with whipped cream.

Donna holds him down when he tries getting up, her hands landing on his biceps.

"Donna, I-"

She places her finger against his lips, preventing him from speaking, "Me first," she demands with no room for argument. She waits for him to nod before she places her hand on his arm again, watching him swallow back the panic she could see rising in him.

"You kissed me," she states matter of factly.

Harvey nods dumbly, "And I'm-"

"Are you sorry you did it?" Donna watches him tilting his head in confusion, her words throwing him off for a second.

"I- Donna, I'm- well it's _you_ , and-"

"Harvey," she interrupts his fumbling, her voice low and steady. She needs to hear him say it, needs to know what the hell it was that was running through his mind before _he_ went running.

He sighs, his thumbs subconsciously caressing the skin under her shirt, "I'm sorry I kissed you… only if you didn't want me to," he clarifies softly.

Her lips curl slightly at his admission, that fluttering in her stomach returning, "And why would you think I didn't want you to?"

Harvey bites his lip for a moment, hoping she couldn't feel the way his heart was pounding against his chest, "Because of your rule."

Oh. _That._

Donna sighs against him, thinking back to over a decade ago when she had implemented that rule. Her left hand trails up his arm until it reaches the nape of his neck, scratching his skin lightly with her short nails, "Is that what's kept you at arm's length all these years?" She mumbles against him.

"Well, yeah," he shifts above her then, trying not to let his full weight land on her.

Donna shakes her head, a low chuckle leaving her lips as the events of the night wash over her.

"What?" Harvey frowns in confusion.

"We're a goddamn mess," it's then that she leans up, pulling him down to meet him in a bruising kiss.

He moans against her when she tugs at his bottom lip with her teeth, soothing the area with her tongue.

"Donna," he breathes against her when her lips meet his mandible, sucking on the skin there, making his eyes flutter closed at her ministrations.

"Donna, wait," she sighs when she pulls back from his lips, annoyed that he had to follow suit and interrupt their kiss too, "If we- if we do this, I don't," he swallows against that lump in his throat, "I don't want it to be a one time thing. Not again."

Her heart skips a beat at his words, and she curses against the cliché, but she knows that's what his words caused her heart to do, "When did you get so mature?" She teases in a low voice, caressing his cheek with her hand.

He smirks down at her, three little words caught in his throat, "I just don't want to lose you," he confesses in a whisper.

A shuddering breath leaves her, and she pulls his face down to hers again, their lips barely touching, "You won't," she kisses him, "And it won't be a one time thing," before he can think twice about it, she's wrapping her legs around him and flipping them around so she's straddling him.

A low chuckle leaves her when he gasps in surprise, or pain, "You okay there?"

Harvey groans under her, his hands landing on her waist, "That depends on your definition of 'okay'."

Her lips quirk at him, reaching down to pull her sweater over her head, tossing it off to the side before leaning down to kiss him again. His arms are around her in an instant, pulling her down flush against him.

"Are you sure about this?" He mumbles against her skin, nipping at her jaw.

She rolls her hips over him, grinning when it causes him to groan against her, "I'm sure, Harvey, now stop talking and _focus_." Detaching herself from him, she starts pulling up his own sweater, using his assistance to take off the offending material, tossing it off the side where it lands in front of the couch.

His hands are on her again, pulling the thinner sweater she wore over her head, leaving her in just a black laced bra. His breath hitches when he looks up at her, the messy bun she wore was now completely lose, whips of auburn hair cascading down her face. Her body was cast in a warm glow, illuminated by the flaming orange from his fireplace.

Harvey sits up then, leaning forward to place a kiss on her hip, "God, I need you."

"Need?" She breathes out against his lips on her skin.

He hums against her, "Need… want…" he punctuates each word with a kiss to her stomach, trailing his kisses up until he reaches the valley between her breasts.

Donna holds his head in place, throwing her head back when he starts kissing the exposed skin above the black lace. She feels his hands snaking behind her, blindly unclasping her bra in a slow torture. His lips detach from her skin, eliciting a low whine from her as he peels the material off her body.

He sits back, holding onto her waist as he studies her, half exposed for him, "God, you're beautiful." His voice is a sweet whisper, his eyes roaming over her bare chest as he tries to count the freckles on her skin.

"Flattery will get you anywhere, my friend," Donna teases, her lips curled into a smile, trying to tamper down the emotions bubbling in her at his words.

It's then that Harvey leans closer, taking his hands to cup her breast, feeling the weight of them in his hands. Her body goes rigid when he swipes her hardened nipples with his thumbs, her bottom lip caught between her teeth as a low whine escapes her. His mouth closes over one then, using his teeth to gently tug before swiping his tongue across the peak, sucking on her breast as his other hand pays attention to her other.

" _Shit, Harvey,"_ Donna pants, her eyes now closing as pleasure shoots straight through her, his ministrations making her feel lightheaded. His mouth switches places and she throws her head back when he tugs a little harder this time, feeling him grinning around her breast as a louder groan leaves her lips.

Before she descends to a pure state of nirvana, his lips disengage from her, his fingers running an up and down pattern on her skin, "You good?"

"Yeah," she nods dumbly, "Just, hurry up now, will you?"

That smug grin returns to his lips, and she doesn't know whether to slap or kiss it off. She decides on the latter, however, pushing him back down to the floor as her lips slant over his, her tongue immediately protruding through to play. It's a mad dash then, the both of them working in tandem to rid each other of their remaining clothes. His shirt is the first to go, followed by his sweats and socks. Donna trails her nails down his bare chest, lightly scratching his abs, making his muscle contract in place. She then teases the edge of his boxers, inching closer to his hardness until she's cupping him through the material, making him jerk against her.

She grins against him when he growls in response, trailing his own hands down her bare back until his fingers slide under the gray material of the sweats she wore. He pulls her down against him, the move making her grind down against him and he swallows her moan when his erection rubs against her.

In a failed attempt to rid her off her pants, he flips them over again, waisting no time to slide the sweats down her legs along with her own socks. He's on her in a flash again, and their hands slide between them to finally rid each other of their remaining barriers.

His mouth finds a trail from her lips to her neck again, sliding his hand up her leg until it reaches the apex of her thigh, causing her legs to widen automatically. He teases her entrance slowly, testing her readiness as he slides a finger inside. A groan escapes her lips, her pelvis jerking up into his hand as he sinks another one in. Before she could retaliate and reach down to him, he's sliding his fingers out and aligning himself with her, not being able to wait any longer.

"Oh shit, do I need-"

Donna shakes her head, her hand coming up to caress his cheek, "No, I got it covered," she gives him a shy smile and he mirrors her, leaning down to give her a lingering kiss before parting again. Harvey hesitates for a moment then, looking down at her darkened hazel eyes, her swollen lips and messy auburn locks. He feels his throat constricting, the realization of what they were doing- what they were about to do dawning on him and he suddenly feels his eyes stinging. His hand comes up to caress her cheek, noticing some traces of whipped cream remained on her face and his lips curl at the image. She still looked as beautiful as ever, and those three little words were on the tip of his tongue again, begging to be let out. Still, the emotions were too great in him, so he swallows back the words and leans down to kiss her as he finally sinks inside.

Her breath hitches against his, the sensation of being connected to him again for the first time in over a decade overwhelming her. Donna grips onto his biceps, holding him in place as she adjusts to his size stretching her.

"You okay?" He whispers.

Donna nods, "Yeah, just, I need a moment." Harvey nods in understanding, bringing his lips to her cheek to give her a kiss, trailing his lips down her skin, trying to keep as much contact with her as possible.

It's not until she wraps her legs around him tighter, pulling him down even closer to her that he gets the signal, starting a slow thrust against her. His lips find hers again, still tasting the remnants of peppermint and chocolate on her tongue. He tries to keep a slow pace, tries to prolong their pleasure as much as possible, _but it's been twelve goddamn years_ , and she's gasping out his name in between thrusts, her nails marking his skin as she clutches onto him, whispering for him to go faster, to go harder, _and he can't hold it anymore._

His thrusts quicken at her request, driving in deeper as she pulls him down further, her lips tugging against his own, parting when their breathing becomes rapid and frantic. Up until this point, her eyes had been closed, but when he feels her starting to contract around him, she opens her eyes and he nearly loses it at the sight of her watching him, _watching her._

His name is a low sigh on her lips, a plea and a prayer all in one. Harvey takes the hint and slows down his thrusts before speeding up again, the change in pace driving her closer to the edge. He watches her throwing her head back then, bottom lip caught between her teeth as her back arches. The nails marking his back dig deeper into his skin, and he hisses in a mixture of pain and pleasure, her own groans starting to mix with his.

" _Donna,"_ He breathes her name against her ear, and that's all it takes for her to lose it, her body quivering beneath his as she moans out his name into the dark. Watching her come undone is enough to set him off then too, his thrusts becoming messier as he finally empties into her, her name still a low mantra on his lips.

Harvey doesn't know how long they stay like that, wrapped around one another, his body molded over hers…. He opens his eyes to gaze down at her, her own closed, swollen lips parted slightly as her breathing begins to regulate. Without thinking about it, his lips meet her forehead, the soft kiss making her eyes flutter open.

"Hey," he whispers softly, a hint of a smile on his lips.

Donna reaches a hand out, touching her fingers to his lips in a near daze, "That was-"

"Don't say it was a mistake."

Her eyes shoot back up to his, wide and alarmed at his words, "No," she makes sure to state firmly, "That was- I don't regret this, Harvey. At all."

He quietly nods in understanding and she feels her heart shattering for him. She had never regretted setting her rule all those years before, never thought that making sure they never crossed that line again was a mistake. And yet, in the years that followed, and more so recently, she kept wondering _what if_. What if she didn't have that rule. What if they ever _broke_ that rule again. But she never let herself go there, convincing herself that it was for the best that they kept a professional relationship. It wasn't until tonight did she realize she never had the courage to break it, and _he_ never came forward with the idea because _she_ had set it, and all he ever wanted to do was do what she wanted. Make sure she was happy.

Now, she sees how scared he was- the very possible notion that she could backtrack and tell him they made a mistake crossing that line eating him up inside.

"No?" She bites her lip at the hope and surprise in his voice. This sudden shy Harvey Specter was something she didn't think she could ever get used to.

Her hand comes up to caress his cheek, her thumb swiping away the remnants of whipped cream that had stayed in place, "Harvey I-" the words get caught in her throat and she sighs in frustration, "Harvey, I already told you- I'm in this. Not just for tonight."

"Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm just- trying to fathom all of this right now," he laughs nervously, making her lips twitch in response.

"Yeah? And how's that going for you?"

"Pretty sure I died and went to heaven," her chuckle reverberates through him, the sound alone making him relax above her.

Harvey leans down to plant a kiss on the corner of her mouth, sliding out of her to curl up behind her. He pulls her body flush against him so her back is to his front, molding perfectly.

"You're amazing," he kisses her temple, letting his lips linger on the spot as she sighs in content.

"You weren't too shabby yourself, Specter," he can hear the smile in her voice as her hand lands on top of his own, making sure he keeps her nestled into him.

"Yeah? Better than our first time?" He whispers into her ear.

She shakes her head, smiling despite herself, "I'm not sure, you seemed to last longer last time."

Harvey gawks at her, "Seriously?"

Donna shrugs, "Well, it's true."

He pulls her possibly closer against him then, growling into her ear, _"Twelve goddamn years, Donna."_

She only chuckles in return, knowing full well she wouldn't have lasted any longer than she did. The last couple of minutes washes over her then, and she shivers in response- the feeling of being wrapped around him, immersed in his touches and kisses making her hair stand on end.

"You cold?" He asks against her, shaking her out of her thoughts.

"Hmm? Oh, just a little." It's only then that the chilled air hits her skin. Being wrapped up against him, their bodies creating their own heat, she hadn't felt any less than warm and content. It was only until the realization of where they were and what they did _and what they now were_ , did her skin erupt in goosebumps.

Harvey grabs the sheets that had been kicked off to the side and pulls it over them, only letting her upper back exposed. He finds himself trailing his fingers over her skin, lightly tracing them over her warm back.

"What're you doing?" She mumbles quietly, and he briefly wonders if she was beginning to fall asleep.

"Just admiring your freckles," he answers honestly, leaning forward to press a wet kiss to her back, the action and his words making her giggle.

"Seriously?"

"I love your freckles," he states proudly, continuing to trace the constellation of speckles on her skin, illuminated by the still roaring fire behind them, "they make you… you."

She can only hum in response, his voice and movements lulling her into a state of utter relaxation. It boggles her mind- how he can suddenly be this calm and sweet and just utterly _hers_ that it makes her toes curl. She searches for his feet then, seeking more contact and warmth from him. When she finds them, she digs her toes under his, laughing when he nearly jerks in response, "What?"

"Your feet are _cold_ ," he grumbles against her.

She turns her head to look at him, a smirk playing on her lips, "Tough."

He swallows when her eyes meet his, the sudden gesture making his throat go dry, every emotion on the human spectrum bubbling up into him as her teasing gaze turns serious.

"What?" Donna inquires softly, her forehead knit in confusion.

The smell of her shampoo engulfs his senses then, the feel of her skin against his igniting something in him, and the words creep to the tip of his tongue, letting them finally rush out in a breath as easily as he could've hoped they would.

"I love you."

She freezes. The words echo through her mind, she knows she heard him correctly, and yet-

"What did you just say?" Her voice is a whisper, raspy with emotion and disbelief rolling into one.

He shifts so he's able to turn her into him fully, her slack body following him without protest. His thumb caresses her shoulder, noting the array of freckles on the exposed skin there too.

"I love you," he repeats simply, "so much."

Her eyes start to sting and she swallows back in an attempt to keep her tears at bay, mentally cursing the affect his words have on her.

"You don't have to say anything," he quietly adds, "I just- I wanted you to know."

Donna brings her hand up on a reflex, caressing the underline of his bottom lip before she leans in to pour every ounce of emotion into the kiss. Before he could deepen it further, she pulls back, their lips parting with a loud smack.

"I love you too."

His lips curl at her words, eyes lighting up with what she can only guess to be pure unfiltered _joy_. "Yeah?"

Donna matches his grin, a low laugh leaving her, "Did you not think I did?" She brings his hand up to her mouth, placing a light kiss on his knuckles.

He shrugs, "I don't know, I just… I'm still trying to wrap my mind around all of this. You. Us. Tonight."

She nods in understanding, seemingly accepting the fact that the fluttering in her stomach wouldn't stop any time soon, "Well, so help me God, but yeah, I'm in love with you."

If at all possible, his grin grows ten-fold at her words and he pulls her against him so her head is resting on his bare chest. He kisses the top of her head, taking a moment to breathe her in, to let the night and their development sink into him.

A comfortable silence falls between them, her hand drawing invisible patters on his chest, feeling his heart beating against her movements. She doesn't know how much time passes by while her hand continues a caress on his skin, but it's not long after until she feels him squirming next to her.

"Are you okay?" Donna lifts her head to look at him, her hair falling in waves in front of her face in the process.

"What? Oh yeah, I'm fine," he gives her a smile that quickly turns into a wince, continuing to shift in his place.

She purses her lips, watching his continued squirm, "Your back hurts, doesn't?"

" _No,"_ he replies too quickly, causing her to roll her eyes.

" _Harvey,"_

Her partner sighs, the sound defeating and annoyed all the same, "Okay, a _little_ ," he grumbles out.

Donna quirks her lips, narrowing her eyes down at him, "You just had to play the romantic card and have sex with me in front of your fireplace, didn't you?"

His head shoots up in her direction, watching her shake her head in a playful scold, "Hey, you're the one who flipped _me_ , remember? I think I managed to pull something in the process." He winces again as a pain shoots through his lower back.

"You growing too old for me already, grandpa?" She teases with a poke to his chest.

Harvey pulls her down to him again, placing them in their earlier position with them facing each other on their sides, "We're the same age, remember?"

"Hmm, I recall you being almost a full year older, mister," she raises her eyebrow in a challenge, causing him to roll his eyes, his lip curling despite.

"Details, details," he playfully mocks.

"You want to move to the bed?" His redhead companion asks then, a more serious tone to her voice.

Harvey shakes his head, pulling her closer against him, "No, I'm good here."

" _Harvey,"_ Donna starts, sending him her look, "Your back hurts and I don't care how much you beg or look at me- like how you're doing right now, but I am not going to end up staying in tomorrow just so I could give you a back massage because you-" she pokes his chest, "are too stubborn to admit that you're in pain right now."

"You really think you won't give in to give me one?" He tilts his head at her, sending her his best half smug, half puppy eye look.

 _No_ , she thinks to herself.

"But-"

He interrupts her with a peck to her lips, "Donna, I'm fine. Yeah, my back bothers me a bit, but, I want to stay right here, with you."

She eyes him warily, cursing herself _and_ him, knowing full well she was going to cave.

" _Fine_ , but I am _not_ giving you a back massage. I don't care how much you whine." Donna sends him a glare that's diluted by the way her lips curl under his very gaze. She turns around then, settling her back against his chest like she had earlier, deciding this was a more comfortable position.

"But you love me," he reminds her with a soft kiss to her back, his voice teasing and light.

She shakes her head at him, glad that he couldn't see the way her lips widen or the blush that creeps onto her cheeks at his words.

"I can't seem to remember why at the moment," she jabs back, grinning when he only pulls her closer to him, their legs tangling beneath them.

Their breathing settles to a slow rhythm, the beat of his heart against her lulling her into a slumber. The last thing she remembers before fully succumbing to sleep is his whispered voice against her, the words alighting her skin on fire.

" _I love you, Donna."_

…

The first sensation that washes over him that morning is warmth- something soft and supple molding against his body like a blanket. The next sensation that hits him is a familiarly sweet smell- a mixture of vanilla and anise making him sigh in content, the scent reminding him of _home_. It's only then that he feels his own personal blanket moving, and he creases his forehead in confusion, his eyes still closed.

He slowly allows his eyes to flutter open, wincing at the ray of light that protrudes through his windows. When his vision adjusts and he sees a sign of red, his breath hitches, images of the night before starting to reel in his mind.

 _Walking through a near blizzard. Getting home and seeing Donna. Sharing spiked hot chocolate with Donna. Having a whipped cream war with Donna._

 _Making love to Donna. Love. He had told her he love her, and she had reciprocated._

Harvey finds himself studying his companion then, his lips curling a the mere image of her. She was snuggly curled into him, her mouth parted slightly and face relaxed due to being in a deep slumber. She looked peaceful, content, and he couldn't believe she was now his, _in every possible way_. A moment of fear passes through him, a feeling he tried to tamper down by reminding himself of what she had told him the night before- that she had wanted this, with him. That she had no regrets. _That she was in love with him._

He lets out a sigh, leaning over to press a feather light kiss to her shoulder blade, trying his best not to ruse her from her sleep. He mentally curses himself at the moment, not wanting to leave the warmth and proximity of her, but his bladder was screaming at him, so as carefully as possible, he untangles himself from her, making sure to tug the blanket over her some more. He finds his boxers scattered off to the side and pulls them on, walking over the ensuite of his bedroom to relieve himself.

After he finishes, he heads back out into the living room again, his lips widening when he sees her still sleeping form in front of his fireplace. His breath catches in his throat, the overwhelming sense of needing to go over and wake her to kiss her and tell her how much he loves her hitting him like a freight train. He shakes his head at his own desperation, _you are whipped, man, get a grip_. He can almost hear Mike's voice teasing him, already knowing what the young associate would say once he caught wind that his boss and his secretary finally took the plunge.

In an attempt to get himself together, Harvey walks over to his kitchen, hit feet carrying him straight to the coffee maker where he starts brewing some for them. He mentally pats himself on the back when he's able to find vanilla flavored creamer in his fridge, always keeping some handy because it reminded him of her, just in case she showed up at his place, and just because he actually loved the stuff. _All thanks to her._

"What are you so smiley about?"

He nearly jumps in place at her words, not having heard her apparent quiet steps as he was making their coffee. Turning to his right, he sees Donna standing before him, his breath hitching when he does- his white sheet wrapped around her still naked body, auburn hair a tangled mess, and eyes gleaming with unsaturated joy and humor.

"You know that was creepy, right?" He jokes.

Donna smirks, "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you," he knows she wasn't really, given the way she kept looking at him in amusement, "you just seemed distracted."

Harvey hums in response, walking over to her in short steps, "Did I?"

"Mhmm, were you thinking about something in particular?" She tilts her head in that way that lets him know _she knows_ what he was thinking about, and his lips twitch at the mere thought.

He shrugs, "Nothing major."

"Uh huh," his arms take residence around her body when he finally reaches her, admiring their height difference as he looks down at her with a twinkle in his eyes, "Is that why you were smiling like the cat that ate the canary?"

His grin grows ten-fold, "Was I really?" She nods in response, "Huh, must've had a good night last night."

"Must have," she agrees quietly.

Not being able to hold it in anymore, Harvey leans down to press his lips against hers, mutual sighs escaping them at the contact. He tries to keep their kiss sweet and short, their lips moving at a languid pace over each other, merely tasting and teasing; testing the waters in the early morning.

"Hey," he breathes against her, placing his forehead to hers.

"Hey," she greets back, her grin matching his.

"Did you have a good sleep?" His arms make a slow trail over her back, feeling her skin shivering beneath his ministrations even with a barrier between them.

"At the risk of letting this get to your head… it was the best damn sleep I've ever gotten." Just as suspected, a shit-eating grin appears on his face and she rolls her eyes in response.

"What?"

"You're shameless," she quips at him.

Harvey shrugs, "And in love."

"And sappy," she laughs then, full and wide, her eyes glinting with nothing but pure love for the man before her.

"I'm already turning into _that_ guy, aren't I?" He playfully scrunches up his nose, causing her to gently swat at his chest.

"Just don't turn into too much of a mush, okay? I like my Harvey Specter not fully whipped and a bit of an asshole."

"I'll try my best," he promises with a grin, leaning down to peck her lips one more time before turning to tend to their coffees.

He silently works to pour them each a mug filled with the hot liquid, adding the vanilla creamer to mix.

"Thanks," she tells him with a shy smile, accepting the blue mug from his hands, letting her own brush over his.

He sends her a half warning glance, knowing she was just teasing him. He veers his attention to the window behind her then, noticing the city was still blanketed in a sheet white. "Man, I can't believe it's still snowing."

Donna turns around at his words, lifting the mug to her lips before taking a tentative sip of the coffee, humming in response when the first sweet taste meets her senses.

"Guess we'll be stuck in here for a while longer?" She turns to him to raise her eyebrows in his direction, the smirk she wore hiding behind the blue mug.

She hears him placing his own mug on the countertop, feeling his arms wrapping around her middle, "Any suggestions on how to pass the time?" He kisses her cheek, trailing his lips down to her mandible where they stay, just barely hovering over her warm skin.

"That depends," she places her own mug on the counter beside his before turning around in his arms, "do you still have any of that whipped cream?"

He swallows, his head bobbing in response, "We've got some left."

Donna bites her lip, watching his pupils dilating under the morning light, "Well then, I suggest you grab it and meet me in your bedroom. We've got twelve years of lost time to catch up on, Specter." With that, she leans up to peck his parted lips, quirking a challenging eyebrow at him as she saunters off to his room. He manages to get his feet to turn around, catching her just in time as she lets the white sheet slip off her form.

It only takes him a full second to grab the can of whipped cream, rushing into his bedroom and nearly tripping on the discarded sheet in the process.

He couldn't fault her for calling him whipped earlier, taking pride in the fact that he was utterly helpless when it came to Donna Paulsen. And as he made love to her for the second time in just twenty four hours, their kisses and gasps mixing in between fits of giggles as they shared a bottle of whipped cream, any last ounce of fear and doubt he held began to thaw.


End file.
